How do you get fitter by cycling? We take a look at some of the best tips to do so
Set Up Your Bike Properly
If you either prefer outdoor biking or stationary bikes, you may know the importance of bike position and proper fit. Setting up your bike properly can increase your chance of success.
You cannot produce as much power if you do not set up your bike properly. It can even increase the risk of injuries, including neck strain, knee strain, and back pain.
Therefore, it is crucial to set up your bike properly. You need to consider some of the following things before adjusting your bike:
Seat Height – The height of your seat can determine several things, such as the angle of the downstroke of your leg and how high you ride on your exercise bike. Make sure your knees are nearly straight and they should slightly bend while you are at the bottom of the downstroke.
According to Green Electric Scooters if you must point your toes or rock your hips side to side to pedal your exercise bike properly, then your bike’s seat is too high. In fact, you may have to overextend your knees. However, if your knees bend excessively when you pedal, your bike’s seat may be too low.
You will need to adjust the seat of your bike. You can even have one of your friends look at the angle of your knees to make sure you get the perfect seat height.
Saddle Angle – The seat height of your bike is important. However, the saddle angle is crucial for proper performance. If you tilt the saddle angle too much, it can lead to pressure points on your legs and glutes. If you tilt it too far down, you may slide forward as you ride. This can cause more strain or even injuries on your arms, hands, and knees. Therefore, it is better to keep the saddle angle neutral. It should slightly tilt towards the rear or front.
Aft Positioning and Saddle Fore – It is much better to spend some time on the saddle since it is more important. The aft/fore position refers to how far backward or forward your saddle rests.
The perfect position places the forward knee directly above the pedal’s axle when the rider is at the bottom of the downstroke. Therefore, it can help the rider avoid injuries and provide the most power. Spend some time adjusting the aft/for setup until you find the perfect position for you. Then, keep your bike’s seat there.
Adjust the Handlebars – The ideal position of the handlebar allows the rider to use different positions without straining their back or neck. You can start by putting the handlebars even with the saddle. Then, adjust upwards or downwards to find a comfortable position for you.
Setting your exercise bike properly will pay off in the long run. If you share your exercise bike with someone else, you can take photos or notes once you adjust your exercise bike properly. Taking photos or notes can help you set up your bike quickly since you know the proper position and height.
Put Your Bike in the Right Place
It is highly recommended you put a stationary exercise bike on your first floor or in your basement.
If you own a stationary bike, you can put it in your finished basement. The basement is usually cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so it is a perfect place for working out.
If you do not have a basement, you can put your stationary bike on your first floor. Do not put your stationary exercise bike on your second floor or higher floors. This is because upper floors usually have poor insulation and they are usually hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
However, this depends on the location of your home. If you want to spend more time working out, you might want to choose the perfect place for working out. Make sure the place does not get too hot. If the place gets too hot, you can invest in a big fan. Use the fan to cool down the place when you are working out.
Do Not Workout Before Warming Up, And Warm Down After Working Out
You can stretch your back, knee, and hamstring before your ride your exercise bike. Additionally, you can spin gently to help you warm up. You can even walk on your treadmill to warm up or take a stroll around your block.
Once you complete your high-intensity exercise, you might want to warm down. Warming down can help rest your muscles. To warm down, you can ride your exercise for 5 more minutes. However, you must maintain a low intensity. Do not breathe heavily. However, make sure your muscles do most of the work.
Create Your Own Exercise Program
It is almost impossible to see progress on your bike if you have fitness goals. You will get a great workout. However, you will not track your progress since you do not have goals. You might never improve your performance.
You can create your own exercise program. It is easy to find a cycling workout since there are so many workouts out there. If you want to create your own exercise program, you can use one of the following resources:
- 3 Killer Stationary Bike Workouts
- High Intensity Interval Training for Beginners
- 4 Stationary Bike Workouts That Burn Fat
You can still find several resources online and offline. Once you create your own exercise program, you will need to track your progress. You are more likely to continue working out on your bike if you are seeing progress. Tracking your progress can help you improve your performance.
Buy Bike Shoes and Clipless Pedals
Some of the best stationary bikes have optional clipless pedals. Some have clipless pedals on one side and toe cages on the other side. If you really want to improve your performance and achieve your fitness goals, you will need to buy bike shoes.
It is easy to clip onto the bikes with clipless pedals since there are special metal components on the bike shoes. These components lock the shoes to the exercise bike. It is also easy to transmit more power because of the stiff design of the bike shoes. Therefore, bike shoes can help you avoid getting tired when working out on your exercise bike.
If you do not know where to get bike shoes and clipless pedals, you can do more research on the internet. If you have more questions, you can visit your local bike shop. The staff in the local bike shop can answer your questions and they can help you pick the best bike shoes.
